


Light

by JayManClayton



Series: For Darkness, Light [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: AU - Character divergence, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 20:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6254251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayManClayton/pseuds/JayManClayton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aurore is a talented and powerful mage in Kinloch Hold. Her world changes drastically when she is recruited by Duncan, Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Aurore will have to fight for her life and for all Thedas, less everything will perish under the Blight.</p>
<p>This story is mostly a re-telling of Dragon Age: Origins. I like to follow in-game dialogs, but I will take liberties with my character. Please note that English is not my first language and that I intend to translate this story in French later (the French version should be better, although certain names and titles may not be canon translation). </p>
<p>Will try to update once in a week! Hope you enjoy!</p>
<p>(Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age - thank BioWare for that awesome art. Aurore's personnality is my doing however).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> To you, My second born, I grant you this gift:  
> In your heart shall burn  
> An unquenchable flame,  
> All consuming, and never satisfied.  
> \- Canticle of Threnodies 5:7

She heard people talking about them before. Tales about how they would chase after bad mages, apostates and witches alike, in their shining armour. They were the army of the Chantry, a force to fear if you dangled in magic. And the young girl certainly had. 

Yet, she was not afraid. She knew, from the moment that man in the forest told her and her sister about the soldiers, that one day she would meet them. The soldiers would come, put her in shackles and bring her to a prison. As she saw it though, it seemed that it was a good opportunity to get out of her miserable life on the street, living in constant fear of people’s judging and of her sister’s magic growing out of control. 

So when her sister’s magic killed some sheep and brought the attention of an older couple of farmers, she told her to run. She knew her sister would be eliminated by the Champions of the Just, that she would be seen as a dangerous and unstable creature. She told her sister to run as fast and as far as she could. They were approaching. She entered the farm and put on a distraction by setting it on fire: that way, they would find her instead of her sister, and then they would bring her into a proper home. 


	2. A Harrowing Experience

Aurore cursed the person who decided to put the Circle into a tower as she climbed the endless stairs to the Harrowing chamber. As if the Harrowing was not enough, she also had to do a bit of exercises because of these stupid stairs. Everything she worked for could be tossed away in the test to come. She wanted to be done with it quickly, but _no_ , she first had to die from exhaustion climbing far too many stairs.

Some apprentices never came back from their Harrowing. They likely died under the hand of the Templars after they (presumably) failed their test. Aurore was not afraid of the Templars: she never have been, and she was not going to fail that test like a weakling. They’d have no reason to harm her. In fact, she liked the templars. While some considered them a living extension of the prison the Chantry forced on the mages, she liked to see them as a personal guard. After all, they were in the circle to protect her from outsiders, other mages and herself. Not that she needed protection from herself, of course. She was a skilled mage. And a powerful one.

With relief, Aurore finally reached the doors of the chamber. Inside, she was braced with a room as cold as the rest of the tower, with large and elaborate windows that somehow did not let a lot of lights coming through. Four templars, including Knight-Commander Greagoir and a young one name Cullen, were already in the room, along with First Enchanter Irving.

«’Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.’» She heard Greagoir said. He always had the words to lighten the mood.

«Thus spoke the prophet Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium, ruled by mages who had brought the world to the edge of ruin.» he continued. Aurore ignored him and walked straight to her mentor, who explained to her that was the reason the Harrowing exists.

« The ritual sends you into the Fade, and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will». _Oh and will I have_ , Aurore thought. She wanted to asked what would happened if she could not defeat the demon, just to put Greagoir on edge a bit and to hear him declare how they would terminate her. How good it would be to then come out on top and prove them how good she was. But instead of letting her emotions get the better of her, she kept her mouth shut and simply stated that she was ready.

_And eager to get it over with._

The Fade was a strange place, to say the least. Between the strange landmarks and strangest plants, Aurore quickly spotted a trail. Seeing no other options, she started to follow it. After two wisps tried to buzz her with weak electric attacks, she heard a voice. _Here it begins_.

A large rat was pestering about the Templars’ decision to send apprentices into the Fade. He proposed (more like he forced upon the apprentice) his help in defeating the demon. Aurore reluctantly let the rat-now-turned-ex-apprentice follow her. She did not trust this guy - _Mouse_ \- for a second. First, because she hated rats. Second, because she did not trust anyone. Third, because she was prideful and did not need anyone’s help. She tried to rely on no one else than herself.

Oh and also, Mouse said that they were other spirits nearby… meaning to Aurore that he was a spirit. A good one? She doubted it. Good spirits were rarely seen in people’s head during a Harrowing, when Templars explicitly draw _demons’_ attention. Her beliefs were proven wrong when she came across said «good» spirit who gave her a staff. Valor was not an enemy then, less he’d give her a weapon.

The sloth demon at the end of the trail, now that was another story. Mouse told her he was not the one hunting her, but she was still weary. Taking the form of a disfigured black bear, he spoke in a slurred speech and he certainly looked dangerous. He was clearly annoyed by her and mouse’s presence and request, and the more Mouse insisted he helped, the more Sloth seemed to grow impatient. To set the matter, Sloth proposed to play a riddle game. _Riddles? Really? My life is at stake here and he wants to play riddles?_ Thankfully, the challenge was not difficult and she rapidly left with Mouse in a bear form.

Not knowing where to find the demon who was supposedly on her track, she came back on their steps. In front of Valor’s hill, she discovered a circle of fireplaces she did not realise was there before. _This place looks scary - the perfect place for the demon_ . As she approached the center, a rage demon - _of all, it was to be rage_ \- escaped the ground.

« And so it comes to me at last. Soon I shall see the land of the living with your eyes, creature. You shall be mine, body and soul.»

« If I lose, the templars will still cut you down»

« They are welcome to try.»

Rage slowly turned his head to Mouse before continuing: « So this creature is your offering, Mouse? Another plaything, as per our arrangement?»

 _Of course he is a traitor. Saw it coming._ Mouse covered his face. _You poor silly thing? What have you done to survive this awful place_ , thought Aurore with disdain.

« I’m not offering anything! I don’t have to help you anymore.»

 _Wait, what does_ that _mean?_

« Aww. And after all those wonderful meals we have shared? Now suddenly the mouse has changed the rules?»

« I’m not a mouse now! And soon I won’t have to hide! I don’t need to bargain with you!»

On that, Rage attacked. Aurore quickly escaped its claws while Mouse charged at the demon in his new bear form. The apprentice got as much distance as she could between the demon and her and fired at the wisps supporting it. Mouse did most of the fighting with Rage. Aurore watched from afar and sometimes threw an arcane bolt or two. Before long, Rage was decimated, exploding into a million lights and vanishing into the air.

Aurore let out a breath she had not realise she was holding. She dropped Valor’s staff as a way to convince her the fight was over. Mouse transformed back into his human form « You did it! You actually did it! ». He turned to her. « When you came, I hoped that maybe you might be able to… but I never really though any of you were worthy.»

Aurore started to approach him, then stopped at the mention of the others. Other apprentices he betrayed that might have survived if he had not been there.

«It’s all a little too easy» she responded, taking Valor’s staff back into her hands.

« That is because you are a true mage, one of the few. The others, they never had a chance. The templars set them up to fail, like they tried with you. I regret my part in it, but you have shown me that there is hope. You can be so much more than you know.»

 _Oh, I know that I really don’t like where this is going_. She took a step back.

«Anything to survive, she said with poison in her words, like an animal. Or worse.»

« I am what the Fade has made me. Am I to blame for that? Deciding to exist or not exist is not a fair choice. I had no hope. You have shown me other possibilities. If you want to help. There may be a way for me to leave here, to get a foothold outside. You just need to want to let me in.»

« No. I’m starting to think the other demon wasn’t my test. So no. It is my final answer.»

Mouse simply laughed. « You are a smart one». His voice then changed, grave and certainly not human. Definitely demony.

« Simple killing is a warrior’s job. The real dangers of the Fade are preconceptions, careless trust… pride.»

To Aurore’s horror, Mouse changed into a huge purple monster, with thick skin and spikes all over his body. A powerful demon without doubt.

« Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests never end».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the french «». I'll try to fix it when I'll post the next chapter :)


	3. A Mage in the Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, sorry! Here are some little Jowan and Cullen!

Someone was fussing over her. She could feel the movement of the air, the tickling of someone’s magic.  _ One can never have a little bit of privacy _ , Aurore thought. She wanted to stay in her bed forever. Once, it was the least comfortable thing in the world; now, it seemed like Heaven. If she could just lean there for a while…

« Are you all right? Say something, please!» asked a worried voice over her. 

_ Jowan, of course _ . 

Jowan was a dear friend, but he had a tendency to pry. A lot. About everything. Aurore liked his insights and his general good nature, but the male apprentice often got on her nerves when she spent too much time with him. Though, if she had to be honest, Aurore would have to admit that she was rather impatient with everyone. She learned to hide it, to keep a good figure but really, people could be so annoying. 

Nevertheless, Jowan was as close as a friend as she could have in the circle. Since the moment she was brought to Kinloch Hold, Jowan has always been there, asking about her wellbeing, her studies and her relationships alike. They grew up together for almost half of her life. 

« Hello Jowan, she said while stirring up. I am well, thank you.» She put on her shoes while he explained to her: « I’m glad you’re all right, they carried you in this morning. I didn’t even realize you were gone all night!»

Templars had brought her back into the Apprentices’ Quarters then? She vaguely remembered being carried, but it was a faint memory, like she was too tired to even think about processing what happened. 

She was petite, but she still pitied the templar who had to walk down all the stairs from the Harrowing Chamber to the quarters on the first floor with her sleeping body. Unless it was Cullen. He probably enjoyed a little proximity. Poor thing. 

She stepped up as Jowan continued: «I’ve heard about apprentices who never come back from Harrowings. Is it really that dangerous? What was it like?».

_ Here it is _ . 

Aurore shook her head in disapproval before answering vaguely with a shrug. « It was… harrowing. »

Of course, the apprentice was not satisfied with her answer. 

« I know I’m not supposed to know… but we’re friends. Just a little hint, and I’ll stop asking, I promise.»

« No you won’t.»

« Come on, I promise!»

Aurore made a face. Mages are not supposed to tell apprentices about the Harrowing to prevent stress and bias. The test must be as close as possible to a demon’s temptation, less it would be an invalid test. 

She put on her best smile and tried to reassure her friend: «Patience Jowan. You’ll go through it soon enough. You have been here longer than I have, surely it is a question of days, maybe weeks.»

Jowan ignored her attempt and instead continued to express his concerns. « Now you get to move to the nice mages’ quarters upstairs. I’m stuck here and I don’t know when they’ll call me for  _ my _ Harrowing.»

_ Are you listening to me at all? It is like I am completely mute.  _

« I’ve been here longer than you are… Sometimes I think they just don’t want to test me. »

He paused. Aurore said nothing and just looked directly at him, prompting him to go on. As if what she said really had any importance when he had a point to make or an idea to expose. 

« The Tranquil never go through a Harrowing» he said gravely. 

« What? No, they won’t make you Tranquil. First, I’m pretty sure Tranquility is a choice, not something Irving would force upon you.»

« I-I don’t know. It just bugs me, you know. But I shouldn’t waste your time with this. Speaking about Irving, I was supposed to tell you to see him as soon as you woke up.»

« Well, I better go see him. We never know what he wants. See you later Jowan.»

« See you.»

He quickly left the room to go to the library, as Aurore assumed. There was not much to do in the tower anyways. Study, eat, sleep. Try to  _ watch _ the Templars’ training. And there used to have swimming exercises outside before a daring mage, Anders, decided it was a good idea to escape Kinloch Hold by swimming across lake Calenhad. 

Aurore stayed and made her bed, conscientious about leaving her - ex - living place clean. She did not have any personal possessions, as she came to the Circle with nothing, too young to even know what the word belongings mean. As she was almost done, she overheard two girls she could not stand gossip in the corner of the dorm. 

« Did you hear anything? Is she all right? Is she awake?» said the first with curiosity. 

« Why do you care? Are you best friends now?» Said the second with a scoff. 

« I’m just curious!»  _ You never liked me and always envied me, of course you were _ . « That templar, Cullen, said it was the quickest, cleanest Harrowing he’d ever seen!»  _ So I did good: bravo me!  _ Aurore jumped at the last comment she made. « He said she is very talented and very brave.»

« Well he would, wouldn’t he?». She spat the words with so much poison, you could almost taste the jealousy. Aurore knew this girl, like many others, had a  _ fondness _ for Templars. Cullen was well above the average. And he had eyes only for one mage: Aurore. Which of course made some wicked witches like this one jealous. Not that anything will ever happen.  _ He _ was way too much shy and afraid to break the rules. A perfect little soldier, with the face of a pretty boy next door. 

Speaking of Cullen, Aurore found him on the second floor. Between her new room and the First Enchanter’s quarters, he was standing tall and proud, doing the best he could to guard the oh-so-dangerous hallways. Nobody was there, what was the point anyways? Aurore sighed and rolled her eyes. After setting in her room, she would go and talk to him. Standing there all alone with no pretty mage to oogle must be very boring. She imagined it felt like having no reading material and no templar training to watch. Or apprentice to have  _ fun _ with. 

The mages’ quarters were exactly the same as the apprentices’, except that a complete area of the apprentices’ chambers were specifically attributed to children and that mages had somewhat more space. But it was not very different. Aurore still did not have any privacy nor freedom of movement, for that matter. The only way she could have sex with one person in a bed would be if she slept with the First Enchanter, and that was so not happening. She quickly looked at her bed, took a staff and some trinket and set off to see Cullen. 

The moment she approached him, he shifted from foot to foot. He always did that when he was nervous. 

« Oh uh, uh, hello. I’m glad to see that your Harrowing went smoothly» he said. Aurore couldn’t help but think that at least it went smoother than his voice. The guy clearly did not have any experience in flirting. 

« Thanks Cullen. I am just happy to still be there, you know.»

« Well uh, yeah that is certainly a good thing. I mean, uh, I’m just glad you’re alright.»

_ ‘Course you are _ , the mage though. Although she could not helped to be a little touched by his sentiment. In another life, maybe. 

« Would you have killed me, if I’d failed?»

« I would have felt terrible about it. But you know, it is our duty as Templars to protect the Circle… at all cost.» Aurore saw sadness for a moment in his eyes, as they drifted to the side. 

« If I ever turned to an abomination, I would like somebody to kill me. If I were to be possessed, might as well call me dead, because I wouldn’t be myself anymore. And I wouldn’t like to harm anyone in the Circle. »

Cullen looked up at her then, curiosity in his eyes. 

« What I meant to say, continued Aurore, was thank you. For doing your duties, that is. Templars are a necessity that not many mages seem to understand.» On that, she made a little curfew and left him there. Her heart raced a bit as she swore she saw a little smile on the corner of his lips. 

In another lifetime. In this one, she was a perfect little Mage who had been called by First Enchanter Irving and she was to comply to his demands, whatever they were. All to be the best Circle Mage there were. 


End file.
